Self-luminous writing or reading device



PL M. WILLISL SELF LUMINOUS WRITING 0R READINGDEVICE. APPL|cAT|oN F|LEDNov. 11, 1917; RENEwED JAN. 24. @920.

Patentedsept; 7,1920.

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UNITEDl STATES @PATENT .ort-'ICE'.7

PAUL M. lWILLIS, or ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNon'ro Ynamur:y LUMNOUSMATERIAL .oonPonA'rIom or Naw Yomr, l1v.. Y., A .CORPORATION or DELA- lw I WARE.

. v 'SELF-LUDINOUS'VWRITING OR READING DEVICE f spebmcation of LettersPatent. Patente-(1 Sept. 7,19%(1 Application filed-November 17, A1917,Serial No. 202,606, Renewed January 24, 1920. Serial No. 353,814.

To aZZfwLom-z't may Concern 4 Y v Be'it known that ITPAUL M. WILLIS, a

i, citizen of the United States,J residing at Orange, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey have invented a certain new i and usefulelf-Luminous Writing or Read-`4 ing Device, set forth iifthe followingspeciication and illustrated 'in the accompanying drawings. u

This invention consists in a self-luminous writing or reading device-'bywhich notations can be, writtenv upon or read from a record sheet, inthe dark, and without the.

aid of any light extraneous to the device. The object of the inventionis to'provide 'such a devicelfor military service and general use. l

The invention is exemplified in the structure illustrated by in s inwhichl n igure 1 is 'a longitudinal'sectional vlew the accompanyingdrawof one device 'embodying the invention, they section -being taken onkthe plane 1, 1v of Fig. l2; I

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional viewlof the device of Fig. 1, on thesection plane indicated'at 2, 2 of Fig..1; Y

Fig. 3y is an enlargedtransverse Sectional view of the self-luminoussliding yoke of Figs.1 and 2, also taken on the plane 2, 2 of Fig. 1; f

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional ,viewon an enlarged scale, taken on theplane 4, 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of' another embodiment of theinvention,l taken on the section plane5,v5 of Fig. ,6;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the deviceof Fig. 5, taken onthe Section plane ,6 6J of Fig. 5

Fig. 27 is an enlarged detail plan view of the clip 33 and 35, formed onthe backplate 32n or holding the elastic band 34; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse ,Sectional view through a self-luminousy0ke` adapted for the device of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 but having a form ofband-grip different from that of Figs. 5 and 6i In the devicek of Figs.1, 2, 3 and 4, the

zoblong 'main platen 9 of suitable metal has its ends 11 and 13 rolledin wire-edge form, and has two rearwardly proj cting lugs '10 on itslonger edges near its upper end, and two similar lugs 12 on the sameplaten edges tween thelspindle flanges 20 and the mounting lugs 10 or12,9to prevent airee unwinding of the paper strip which has its ends inthe slots of the opposite-spindles and forms rolls 15 and 16 on thespindles and runs from roll to roll over the rounded edges 11' `and13 ofthe xplaten. Suitable knurled heads such as 21 onythe spindles serve to`vturn them to draw the strip 14 in either direction. v,

A metalband or yoke 18 embraces the platen and slides upon it'from endto end between the opposite lugs l() and 12, and the front leg of thisyoke is interposed between the platen'and the paper 'strip and isrendered self-luminous by:- a" suitable selfluminous paste' or othermaterial 23 covered by a protective transparent or translucent membrane22. Theself-luminous material may include an adhesive to secure theprotective strip 22 which may be of celluloid. The self-luminous mixture23 may be itself transparent `ortranslucent and the surface f of theyoke 18 on which it adheres maybe rendered white o r light-reliective toutilize the light rays falling upon itfrom theselfluminous material.

A stationary celluloid or other transparent sheet 17 may be ccemented orotherwise suitably connected at its endsnto the front side of the platen9, over the sliding selfluminous sheet to further protect the same 'fand also to shield the paper strip from con tact with the edges of theself-luminous sheet which might otherwise/cause the point of a pen\orpencil to break through the paper in the act of writing.

The self-lunriinousv material of the sliding yoke 18'will preferably beof radio-active character which is expensive.

l The scheme of carrying this self-luminous material on the sliding yokemakes it .possible to illumine the paper strip by transmitted lightsuccessively along all portions of its length traversed by the sliding.

movement of the yoke and without employing such an amount ofself-,luminous mateyoke thus facilitates writing on or reading rial ahwould be necessary to provide equal illumination of all said paper arealat one time. Although the sliding self-luminous from successive portionsof the pa erstrip, the self-luminous area beneath t e paperI may beimmovably fixed on the platen and successive portions of the paper may.be illumined by recourse solely to the turning of the paper spindles.

In the device of Figs. n, e, 7 ne s, @leaf pad 30 of translucent ortransparent leaves 1s mounted on an-ordinary card back. 28-by a flexiblecloth binding 29 glued to the, card back and vto the upper edges of the''ad leaves; -vThe leaves may be perforate at 31 for 4tearing oifalong afline parallel-to the binding. w

A metal plate 32 lies transversely across the rear surface of the card28 and has its ends bent forward to embrace the edges of "the card, sothat the plate may freely slide along the length of the card. A'nelasticl band 34 passes along the back of the plate 32 through retaining-clips 33 and 35 formed integrally with the plate, and thence ex'-tends' forward across thel thickness of the pad -to the ends of theself-luminous slide 36 lto which the ends of the band aresecured bysuitable. clips 37 formed of the metal of "the slide. In lieu of theclips 37, the clench joint 40 o f Fig. 8`may be employed. The front sideof thel slide 36 is rendered self luminousl byA a-nl adhesiveself-luminous paste 38 compressed between the slide and a transparentprotective covering 39. The

front 'surface of the slide may be light clamped lightly on the cardback 28 and the 1. A luminous Writing or reading device pad leavesremaining beneath the slide.

flhe inventive idea may be embodied in various other forms' within theskill of artisans, and still other adaptations may be inventivelydevised, Jwithin the scope of the,

following claims:

comprising a base member, means for holding a record sheet thereon, anda self-luminous sheet slidably connected with thc base member inposition to slide under successive r 155 -portions of the record sheet,whereby to successively illuminate said record sheet` portions bytransmitted llght.

' beneath-the pad or book leaf to be illuminated, and a yoke connectedwith said selfluminous sheet and adapted to inclose other 4 leaves ofthe pad orbook between said yoke and self-luminous sheet while saidsheet is in place beneath said leaf to be illuminated.

4. 'A device for illuminating pad or book 75 leaves by transmitted light'consisting in a self-luminous sheet adapted to be inserted beneath thepad or book leaf to be illuminated, and an elastic yoke connected withlsaid self-luminous sheet and adapted' to 80 clamp other leaves of thepad or book between said yoke and self-lumindus .sheet while said sheetis in place beneath the said e leaf to be illuminated. 'f

5. A device for illuminating pad or book leaves by transmitteddightconsisting in a self-luminous sheet of lesser area than the pad or bookleaves and adapted to slidel beneath the pad or book leaf to beilluminated, and an elastic yoke connected with said self-luminous sheetand adapted to lightly clamp other leaves of the pad or book betweensaid` yoke andself-luminous sheetA while said sheet is in illuminatingposition beneath the ,said leaf to be illuminated, and said yoke beingalso adapted to slide rela` tive to its said leaves thus clamped wherebyto successively` illuminate successive portions of said leaf to beilluminated.

I n testimony whereof I have hereunto '100 i afliied my signature. f

-; PAUL M. WILLIS.

